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We’ve already covered the worst CPUs ever built, so it seemed time to flip around and talk about the best ones. The question, of course, is how do we define “best?”
In order to qualify for this article, a CPU needed to do more than just introduce significant new features or support a new instruction set.The Pentium Pro, for example, was a very important chip.
It pioneered features still in use today and demonstrated that out-of-order execution and micro-op translation were viable techniques for high-end, next-generation processors.
At the same time, however, the Pentium Pro had issues. It was slow when running 16-bit code and its FPU performance was only about half of comparable RISC cores at the time.
The Pentium Pro was a very important CPU core, in other words but it doesn’t meet our criteria when making a list of the best CPU cores ever invented.
To see which cores do measure up, check the slideshow below. We’ve taken a broad look at the industry over the past 40+ years, with mobile, server, and desktop CPUs all represented.
Our selections were based on a variety of factors, including feature set, market impact, total strength of the product, and long-term performance.